Vacation Under the Volcano

Who wants to vacation next to a volcano? Jack and Annie are about to find out when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the days of the Roman Empire. They arrive in Pompeii and discover they’ve arrived on the day the city is going to be destroyed. Now Jack and Annie must race against time to find an ancient library before it is buried in ash!  

Suspense is created because Annie worries about being in Pompeii and thinks it “feels wrong.” In addition, the ground shakes and rumbles, and then Jack and Annie meet a soothsayer who warns them that the end is near. When the kids finally find the library, they don’t realize it at first because they are looking for modern books, while the Roman books are written on scrolls. Ultimately, Hercules saves the kids, and they return home safely. 

During their adventure, Jack and Annie learn about Roman culture. Jack uses a book to define unfamiliar words and look up facts about Pompeii, which allows the reader to learn more about its history. This information appears in a different font to give readers a visual cue that the information is factual. The back of the book contains more information about Roman culture. Readers who want to learn even more about Pompeii should read The Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Ancient Rome and Pompeii. 

When reading Vacation Under the Volcano, children will learn about Roman culture and the destruction of Pompeii. Unfortunately, the siblings only have brief interactions with other people. Most of their knowledge comes from observation, so readers do not understand how Romans lived.  

Proficient readers ready for chapter books will enjoy jumping back into time with Jack and Annie. The story is accessible to young readers because of the large text and black-and-white illustrations every two to seven pages. The large, detailed illustrations help bring the characters to life and show how the Romans dressed and constructed their buildings. Even though Vacation Under the Volcano is part of a series, the books do not need to be read to be enjoyed.  

Vacation Under the Volcano gives readers a brief glimpse of what Pompeii was like before a volcano destroyed the city. This exciting book creates suspense using kid-friendly descriptions of the erupting volcano. In the conclusion, Jack and Annie are helped by a surprising hero—Hercules! For another exciting time travel adventure into ancient Rome, jump into the Imagination Station and read Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker. Also, be sure to check out Wendy Mass’s The Time Jumpers Series, which also takes readers on exciting adventures in the past.  

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• Jack and Annie see gladiators. “The warriors’ feet [were] chained together, and guards walked with them.” Jack looks up information in a book: “They were forced to fight each other or wild animals like lions or bears.”
• Jack and Annie feel the beginning of the volcanic eruption. “Everything was shaking and crashing down around them—pots, plants, the mermaid fountain. Water from the goldfish pond sloshed onto the patio.” 
• When pumice, ash, and burning rock began falling, Jack and Annie used cushions to protect their heads. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• When Annie gets to Rome, she wants to go home immediately. Jack asks her, “Are you nuts?” 

Supernatural 

• The magic tree house can travel through time. When Jack and Annie travel, the tree house “spun faster and faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still.” When they arrive in Pompeii, they are dressed appropriately for the time period. 
• One of the characters is a soothsayer “who could see into the future and warn others about what they saw.”  
• Hercules helps Jack and Annie escape Pompeii. After the siblings return, they discuss whether Hercules is real or mythical. Annie says, “Hercules is a myth to people in this time. But in Roman times, lots of people believed he was real. So since we were in Roman times, he was real to us.” 

Spiritual Content  

• Jack and Annie see a Roman temple. Romans “believed that many gods and goddesses ruled the world. This is the Temple of Jupiter, their chief god. In this temple, they prayed to Jupiter and offered him gifts.